holiday

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4 Weird Fourth Facts
 4 Weird Fourth Facts 
Jul 4, 2012 11:43 AM CDT

4 Weird Fourth Facts

3 presidents died and one was born on the holiday

(Newser) - As you're watching fireworks tonight, consider this: If John Adams had had his way, you would have had a three-day weekend. That's because the second president believed Independence Day should have been celebrated on July 2, when the Founding Fathers voted for independence, rather than the day John...

Chicago Kicks Off St. Pat's by Dyeing River Green

Mayor Rahm Emanuel appears at St. Patrick's Day ritual

(Newser) - The city of Chicago has dyed its river green in a much-beloved yearly St. Patrick's Day ritual that brought thousands of revelers to downtown. Cheers erupted this morning as a motor boat sped around in a circle and a man on board dumped the secret dye mixture that in...

Spare Me, I&#39;m Irish

 Spare Me, 
 I'm Irish 
OPINION
Mar 17, 2012 10:33 AM CDT

Spare Me, I'm Irish

Salon's Mary Elizabeth Williams explains why she hates St. Patrick's Day

(Newser) - Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon has strong Irish roots, but you can keep your parades, "kiss me" buttons, and shamrock shakes to yourself on this St. Patrick's Day, thank you very much. She hates the annual pseudo-holiday, the day when "'Irish' becomes simultaneously synonymous with '...

RI Christians Revolt Over 'Holiday Tree'

Carolers crash tree lighting as Catholics hold competing event

(Newser) - When Scott Walker rechristened Wisconsin’s Capitol "holiday tree" a "Christmas tree," the atheists revolted ; now, in Rhode Island, the opposite is happening. When the governor unveiled the Statehouse "holiday tree," angry carolers crashed last night's tree lighting, interrupting a children's chorus to...

Tomorrow Is Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel Day
 Tomorrow Is 
 Nigel Tufnel Day 
spinal tap fans
Nov 10, 2011 3:45 PM CST

Tomorrow Is Nigel Tufnel Day

Holiday for Spinal Tap goes all the way up to 11

(Newser) - Spinal Tap fans, turn up your amps: Tomorrow is Nigel Tufnel Day. Last year, one hardcore Tap devotee chose 11/11/11 as the perfect day to celebrate the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. In one classic scene, guitarist Tufnel informs the filmmaker (Rob Reiner) that his amplifiers have extra power...

Let's Have Halloween on Saturdays: Connecticut State Lawmaker

 Let's Have 
 Halloween 
 on Saturdays 
lawmaker says
Oct 25, 2011 3:22 PM CDT

Let's Have Halloween on Saturdays

Connecticut state rep says it would boost community spirit

(Newser) - One state lawmaker wants to boost the economy and help out harried parents by legislating that Halloween always falls on a Saturday, the Hartford Courant reports. Connecticut Rep. Tim Larson says having Halloween on the last Saturday in October would also be safer for trick-or-treaters because parents could start earlier...

Hot Christmas Gifts: Ferrari, $45K Ping-Pong Table
Hot Christmas Gifts: Ferrari, $45K Ping-Pong Table
NEIMAN MARCUS LIST
Oct 19, 2011 10:20 AM CDT

Hot Christmas Gifts: Ferrari, $45K Ping-Pong Table

Fantasy gifts for 2011 unveiled in 'Christmas Book'

(Newser) - It’s that time of year again: time for Neiman Marcus to say, “Recession? What recession?” and urge you to purchase a $250,000 mahogany speedboat for your beloved this Christmas. Yes, the Christmas Book was unveiled yesterday. To really get into the holiday spirit, read on for the...

British Businesses Grumble About Wedding Day Off

Public holiday predicted to cost economy almost $10B

(Newser) - Guillotine-wielding protesters aren't the only people in Britain not entirely thrilled about today's royal wedding. The British are getting an extra public holiday for the occasion and business owners complain that they're losing revenue at a time when they're trying to recover from recession. The...

5 Least Healthy Holiday Drinks
 5 Least Healthy Holiday Drinks 
that's 700 calories
Dec 4, 2010 10:49 AM CST

5 Least Healthy Holiday Drinks

Unfortunately, your peppermint mocha still contains calories

(Newser) - Beverages are liquid, so people seem to forget that they still have calories—especially holiday beverages, with their added peppermint, chocolate, and caramel. The New York Post lists five of the worst holiday drinks, courtesy of Eat This, Not That! author David Zinczenko:
  • Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha: A venti
...

Obama Spares Turkeys 'Shellacking'

Birds will head to George Washington's estate

(Newser) - It's official: President Obama has pardoned the National Thanksgiving Turkey. Continuing a decades-old White House tradition, Obama issued pardons today to a gobbler named "Apple" and its alternate, “Cider.” The two 21-week-old, 45-pound turkeys were raised on a California farm. Obama said it “feels pretty good...

Christmas Is Here... Way Too Early

Six signs that the holiday season has gotten too impatient

(Newser) - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... even though we're not yet past Thanksgiving. The Week pores through local papers to find six tales of Christmas coming too early this year:
  • It's never too early for eggnog lattes: In Seattle , at least one Starbucks started selling seasonal drinks right
...

Number Nerds + Pi Day = Big Geek Fun
Number Nerds + Pi Day =
Big Geek Fun
3.14159
Mar 14, 2010 1:59 PM CDT

Number Nerds + Pi Day = Big Geek Fun

Eat some pie, write a 'pi-ku,' and wish Albert Einstein a happy birthday

(Newser) - Today is 3/14, better known to the math-loving community as Pi Day, an international celebration of the irrational number and, for some, its almost-namesake dessert. In honor of the occasion, the iconic logo on the Google homepage has transformed into a collection of formulas that use pi. To celebrate, write...

Why Valentine's Day Needs to Die
 Why Valentine's Day 
 Needs to Die 
OPINION
Feb 14, 2010 10:07 AM CST

Why Valentine's Day Needs to Die

It's an overpriced, competitive sham of a holiday

(Newser) - Valentine's Day isn't just a manufactured holiday—it's "disgraceful," says New York life coach/single-people expert Jay Cataldo, who decides to climb onto his soapbox and tell The Bachelor Guy why it's time to make Feb. 14 just like any other day...and what belongs in its place:
  1. It's
...

Holiday Violence: Not Just for Celebs

As Tiger Woods and Charlie Sheen prove, this season can be stressful

(Newser) - Elin Nordegren kicked off this year's holiday season on the wrong foot, reportedly chasing Tiger Woods with a golf club in the wee hours after Thanksgiving. Charlie Sheen piled on, allegedly assaulting his wife on Christmas, writes Mary Elizabeth Williams in Salon , and it's worth noting that the holidays can...

Sasha, Malia Dish on White House Christmas

Obamas tell kid patients of 26 trees; 'presents not under each one'

(Newser) - The first family—minus the president, but plus the first dog—talked about their first White House Christmas yesterday, but Michelle Obama wouldn’t spill any secrets on what’s waiting for Barack under the tree. Malia told patients at the Children’s National Medical Center about the 26 trees...

Beware These Horrific Holiday Mishaps

From common slips to exploding lights and eyelids stuck in zippers

(Newser) - Work enough Christmases in the ER, and you’ll see every manner of bizarre holiday accident—some of them more than once. One UK doctor shares with the Telegraph the injuries his hospital sees "without fail" every year:
  • Exploding tree lights burn eyelids and eyeballs, so keep a safe
...

You'll Never Use That Fancy Waffle Maker
 You'll Never Use 
 That Fancy 
 Waffle Maker 
HERE'S A SHOCKER
Dec 21, 2009 1:17 AM CST

You'll Never Use That Fancy Waffle Maker

Gift desires dissolve when confronted with complicated gizmos

(Newser) - Hard as it may be to believe, many people ask for fancy holiday gifts and then barely use them, a shocking new study reveals. “Sometimes the reality of owning an object doesn’t quite measure up to our expectations,” explains a psychologist. Some 59% of gifts in the...

The Only 3 Christmas TV Plots
 The Only 3 Christmas TV Plots 
TRADITIONS
Dec 20, 2009 3:43 PM CST

The Only 3 Christmas TV Plots

When it comes time for the holiday episode, don't expect a surprise

(Newser) - Christmas “takes over the airwaves as comprehensively as it does malls, office lobbies, and public service announcements”—but unfortunately, the Christmas TV plotline always falls into one of three categories, writes Torie Bosch for Slate :
  • Money woes: “A holiday season without gifts doesn't really feel like a
...

Risqu&eacute; Xmas Ad Sparks Anger
 Risqué Xmas Ad Sparks Anger 
Dec 17, 2009 3:50 AM CST

Risqué Xmas Ad Sparks Anger

Catholics offended by Anglican church billboard

(Newser) - A New Zealand Anglican vicar trying to be funny by putting a sheepish Joseph naked in bed with Mary on a billboard has infuriated Catholics. "Poor Joseph, God was a hard act to follow," reads the ad. The idea "was to lampoon and ridicule the idea of...

Duos We'd Rather Not Get Engaged
 Duos We'd 
 Rather Not Get Engaged 
NO XMAS RING, PUH-LEASE
Dec 15, 2009 11:42 PM CST

Duos We'd Rather Not Get Engaged

5 possible and jealousy-inducing celeb engagements

(Newser) - The Yuletide engagement is a tradition of celebrity ostentation—a little treat to make the holiday gloom that much more oppressive for the rest of us, writes Drew Grant . Here are five couples who should just keep their darn happiness to themselves:

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